


Chef Cora-san

by Pablopls



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-01-21 19:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12464535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pablopls/pseuds/Pablopls
Summary: Having resigned from the marines after ten long years of service, Corazon struggles to fit back into society and needs to settle on a new career. With the help of his roommate, Trafalgar Law, and executive chef Sanji, he discovers his new passion in the most unexpected way.





	1. The Search Begins

"This sucks!" he complained, rustling the old, worn out newspaper in his large hands. "I can't believe he's making me find a job. I love him and all, but this is just embarrassing…"

"You know I can hear you, right?"

  
"Gck, dammit! Silence!" With a snap of his fingers, he forms an invisible soundproof bubble around him, keeping any noise he makes within this barrier.

"OI! IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT!"

With the cost of rent rising, it's been getting harder and harder for Trafalgar Law to support himself and his roommate Donquixote "Corazon" Rocinante, an ex-marine who had recently resigned and returned home after spending ten years overseas. They have been living together for nine months, and there'd been nothing but joy and happiness going on between the two. Being separated for so long really made an impact on their relationship, which is why they take advantage of their free time to make up for the many lost years. They'd spend every waking moment having breakfast with each other, going out for coffee, taking long walks along the coast, and even staying up some nights just talking about life. Law tends to have a lot of free time because he works night shifts at the major hospital at the end of their small town. His shifts vary, some nights he won't get called in at all while other times he'd be lucky to barely squeeze in a power nap during the day. He is an essential part to the hospital with him being a devil fruit eater, however it is surprising he doesn't get called in more often. The job does pay well, even if his schedule isn't consistent.

"Can't I just go out and break some people's bones so you can fix them up?" Cora suggested.

"Please don't do that," Law answered, "Unless they're ten feet tall and pink then be my guest."

Cora laughed. "Man, I never thought this day would come. You'd think after being with those men for so long, you'd get some better treatment here!"

"That's life for you, there are some shitty people out there," Law said, stirring his coffee and holding it, but never taking a sip out of it. "Tell you what, I'll help you out."

Cora's eyes glowed. "Really?"

"I'll look through some job listings, maybe talk to some of my associates. They might know some people." Law flipped through the paper and found a listing for a store clerk. "Hey, come take a look at this!"

Cora jumped down at the seat right next to Law, almost making him spill his coffee. "At the clothing store?"

"Yeah. It shouldn't be too hard. You just fold clothes all day and talk to people. Boring, but it's something."

Cora jumped right back up. "Perfect! I can practice my singing while I work!"

"You...sing?"

"U-uhh...no! I mean, to pass the time! Of course!"

"Mhmmmm…well! Let's go ahead and check it out then."

The two of them went out and started making their way to the shop. They lived at the top of Mt. Sensation, the tallest mountain around the area, named after the five senses because of its overall euphoric atmosphere; the sounds of crisp leaves, the touch of the cool gentle breeze, the smell of flowers and wood flooding in, the taste of clean air, and of course the lovely view of the little town they resided in. The town is so small, in fact, one could possibly walk across the main street in about half an hour.

"Is this the place?" Cora asked, looking up at the shiny sign.

"Yep, let's check it out."

The two walked in, looking around at the variety of clothes they had; dresses with all sorts of colors and sparkles, and suits that all seemed to look the same.

"Y'know, this place seemed a lot smaller from the outside," Cora observed.

A posh woman's voice was heard that echoed all around the room. "Yeah, we get that quite a lot!"

Startled, the two of them turned their heads to see where she was coming from. "H-hello?" Cora asked.

"Ah, how rude of me!" The woman walked up in front of them and introduced herself. "My name is Alvida, the most beautiful lady in town, and I am the owner of this wonderful shop!"

"The one that no one's in right now?" Law sarcastically commented. Cora nudged him to not.

"Tsh, a critic aren't you?" Alvida scoffed. "No matter! I, for one, take pride in setting the beauty standards of this whole town!"

"Yeah, you might want to move out," Law sassed again, Cora nudging harder this time.

"Well then, I-"

"I-I do apologize, Miss!" Cora immediately squealed, "what we're here for is your open position! I'm interested in applying."

Alvida stared at the both of them in disgust, but was shortly followed by a burst of hysterical laughter with ugly-sounding breaths in between. "Oh my, you crack me up!"

"So that means yes?" Cora asked excitedly.

"Hell no! My shop represents all that is beautiful! I need someone whose appearance resembles such beauty as mine, not some tall freak who doesn't know how to use make up!" Alvida's face started turning red with laughter, meanwhile Law's and Cora's were turning red with fuming anger.

Law started, "you know wha-"

Cora nudged angrily at Law, trying to hold back his own words.

"And you!" Alvida sneared at Law, "what is your style even supposed to be? An ugly yellow sweater with those jeans? Did you have the big guy do your makeup for you?" Law was growling so hard at this point, you could practically see steam blowing out his ears. "And that hat! That dumb hat...what are you? Some 10 year old?"

"You know what!" Cora slammed his hands on the glass counter, smashing it to bits and not caring about the tiny shards being imbedded in his hands. "You can call me what you want! Call me a clown! A freak! But you mess with Law and  _this_ clown will show you a thing or two!"

Alvida stepped back from the shattered glass. "Y-you're going to have to pay f-"

"I don't owe you shit!" Cora grabbed Law's hand and pulled him out the door with him. "Adieu, madame!"

They both friskly walked along the sidewalk, still distressed at the way she treated them. "Man, what a bitch," Law pouted.

"You know, I could've sworn I've seen her overseas a lot...but something about her appearance has changed. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"She's quite the bitch, that's for sure."

Cora nodded. "Hey, can I ask you something…?" Law looked up and saw Cora's face drenched in tears. "A-am I really a tall freak who can't use makeup?"

"No! No, not at all! Uhm...hm, though, that's got me thinking. First impressions are everything, so we're going to have to work on a few things."

"I'm a freak…"

"SHUT UP! You are not!"

They both headed home, and started talking about what makes a good impression on people along the way, and what makes a bad one. Perhaps it could involve his staggering tall appearance that can easily shadow over anyone. Maybe it could be his fashion sense, which consisted of a pink, heart-covered, button up shirt under a ridiculously fluffy black feather coat. It could involve his makeup, which all it was made up of was four blue spikes painted under his right eye, and overuse of lipstick which extended way passed his lips and well into his cheeks.

Law unlocked the door and they both walked in, Cora bumping his head against the door frame. "I'm surprised you haven't managed to put a hole there yet," Law mentioned, referring to the many times Cora's done this in the past.

Cora rubbed his head to try and relieve the pain, "So...impressions, yes?"

"Yes, right!" Law reached for his coffee, which still managed to be pretty hot, "Do you have anything that's, uhm, formal? Professional? Not plastered in hearts?"

"Well...I do have one thing!" Cora went in the closet and shut the door behind him. Law finally took a sip of his coffee as he waited. Moments later, he came back out wearing a marine uniform. Law choked. "Will this work?"

"You're! Applying for a job! Not trying to impress the damn queen!" Law coughed a couple more times, and cleared his throat, "but if that's all you have, I guess it'll work…" He slid his cup of coffee across the table for Cora to have, not wanting it anymore.

"I'm sure I'll impress tons of people with this! The marines aren't people you should mess with, ya know!" Cora took a swift drink from the cup Law passed over, immediately spitting it out in a fountain of burning pain.

Law couldn't help but to chuckle at the sight. "Yeah, sure…" He grabbed his newspaper and continued looking at the job openings when something caught his eye.  _Former marine ship looking for staff to work at restaurant's grand opening. No experience required._ "Oi! Cora-san!" He looked up to find him rolling on the floor in a puddle of tears and regret. Law shook his head. "Oh, he's hopeless…."

—

The tall blond straightens out his collar from his marine coat and glances at the mirror, wiping off any dust and particles from his suit and white pants. His forehead drips with fear, but he pats it dry, closes his eyes, inhales through his nose and exhales out his mouth. He's ready for his date with the head chef. He turns to Law and shouts "OKAY!" with a smile engrossing the entire bottom half of his face, and raising his fingers to show off a peace sign.

"Too friendly!" Law shouts from across the room, throwing an empty can at his forehead. "You have to look serious and professional; you're not impressing a child here, you know."

"Hm." Corazon nods, turning around slowly with his head down. Law leans over trying to make out his face, worried he might've been a bit too hard on him.

He grunts. "Cora-san, I'm s-"

"SO HAPPY TO SEE YOUUU!" Cora-san exclaims in an even higher voice, now posing like a young schoolgirl.

"NOW YOU'RE JUST BEING SILLY!" Law blares out, tossing yet another can.

Corazon chuckles at his reaction and bids Law farewell, addressing him with full confidence and a steady voice. He walks out of the apartment, ducking as to not hit his head on the doorframe as he's done oh so many times. Law watches his exit and smirks with amuse at how much he's changed, yet he still managed to be the same Corazon he'd always been before joining the marines. He lights up a cigarette and wonders how it'll go.

He lights up a cigarette and wonders how it'll go. He was still thinking about that first experience at the clothes shop, how bitter she was and how distressed he was at the thought of someone being so damn judgemental. First impressions are everything; people will start judging you within the first three seconds of seeing you; your overall outlook is based on the first sentence you mutter out of your mouth. These thoughts seem to repeat nonstop in his head, but these are merely obstacles that he can just walk over. Nothing would stop him this time. He's ready for whatever the world's throwing at him.

The thoughts stop as he passes by a sign that reads,

**_GRAND OPENING_ **

_Baratie Land Restaurant_

_The best food overseas now being brought to land! You're next, air._

Cora couldn't help but sort of cringe at that last part, but was intrigued at the name. "Baratie...that name reminds me of someone...someone I always saw in the marines…" His eyes widened as the name shot across his memory. "Zeff! Of course! He's the owner of the Baratie Restaurant over in the East Blue. Mmmm...what brings him over here all of a sudden?" Zeff's restaurant was a once popular stop for pirates and marines alike; anyone was a customer if they were willing to pay. "It's weird, he seemed to pour his blood and soul into his only restaurant...heh, old geezer probably needs the money." His eyes wandered down to the bottom of the sign that read:

**_HELP WANTED!_ **

_Dishwashers, experienced cooks, and waiters needed. Walk-ins are welcome!_

This was it. He's ready. He shoves the two western styled wooden doors open and walks in, scanning the restaurant and the staggering amount of people dining within. The land restaurant kept the same amount of diversity as the sea restaurant, and the popularity transferred over as well. Corazon was giddy at the sight, however it only took him but three seconds to realize that everyone had stopped dining…and turned in his general direction, just staring blankly. He froze, eyes bulging, and sweat dripping around his gaping mouth. He wasn't expecting such attention already, nobody even knew what his intentions were! They were just staring! His general sense of fear only sank further when he stared eye to eye with a certain man: a lanky blonde haired man wearing only an apron and a chef hat over what seemed to be a fancy ballroom suit. His appearance wasn't so intimidating much as his stance was. He was holding two different frying pans in each hand, a cigarette in between his teeth, and an empty gaze latched onto his eyes.

"Welcome. Please wait to be seated," he calmly but eerily announced, flicking both pans and launching two grilled fish fillets into the air. "The name's Sanji, and I'll be your host for today." The fish fillets flew high into the air, nearly hitting the ceiling and spinning at incredible speeds. "Unless, judging by the way you were looking at our sign, you want to help host me." The fillets descended, and landed perfectly squared and centered each on two different customers' plates. "Lunch is served."

Corazon's jaw was still hanging out, his cigarette somehow keeping in place the whole time, bewildered by his performance.  _S-so cool! How the hell am I supposed to impress someone like him?_ He closes his mouth, inhales through his nose, and proceeds marching towards him. The diners' eyes are still glued to the tall man dressed in all white, approaching the head chef who appeared as a dwarf in comparison. Corazon lends his arm out to offer a handshake.

"My name i-" the moment he started talking, his cigarette dropped from his mouth and landed on his sleeve, immediately bursting in flames. "AHH, SHIT SHIT!" He furiously patted the flame on his arm with his other hand, but doing that only caused the other sleeve to catch fire. He dropped to the ground and rolled around back and forth, screaming and shouting explicit words and phrases. Sanji just stood there with a blank look on his face. After a few seconds he grabbed a customer's pitcher of water and splashed the contents over the screaming clown, putting out the flames.

Corazon stopped rolling around but just laid there, trying to recover from what just happened. He hadn't even been there for two minutes and he already managed to embarrass himself. He's never going to get the job at this rate. He for sure wasn't even going to get an interview. He shouldn't have kept that cigarette in his mouth. Why oh why did-

Sanji just laughed. "A funny man," he commented, wiping a tear from his uncovered eye, "get back on your feet." Sanji helped the burnt Cora up, brushing some of the dust and marks off of his suit. "I admire you. You look like someone who doesn't take shit from anyone. Come on back, let's get you an interview started." With that said, Corazon's eyes sparked up, his smile came back, and his face had regained its shine even despite being covered in char and ash. This was his moment. His time to shine. Sanji walked him into his office and sat him down. He looked over some paperwork and started asking his questions. "First thing's first, what is your n-ghh?!" Sanji looked up and jumped back at Corazon's expression: a wide open smile engrossing half of his entire face and squinting his eyes, and holding his two fingers up into a peace symbol. "T-TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY DAMMIT!"

—

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The noise startled a sleeping Law, dropping him from his cozy chair down to the rough carpeted floor. He rubbed the pain on his face and walked towards the door. He unlocked the door only to be welcomed by it swinging right in his face and knocking him back to the floor.

"LAW! LAW! LAW!" An excited Corazon shouted giddily as he expelled himself in the room. "YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!"

"…that I'm going to kick your ass the first chance I get?" Law grumbled, still rubbing the second dose of pain on his face.

"NO! I GOT THE JOB!" Corazon picked Law up from the floor and squeezed him in his arms as tight as he could barely handle. "He says he'll start me off with minimum wage, but he'll keep increasing it the more I work!"

Law struggled to get a breath in, "Th-that's gr….great…." Corazon releases his grip, letting gravity take Law back down to the floor for a third time. "A…are you sure you'll be able to go through with it?"

Corazon nodded. "He says he'll start me off really easy!" He fixed his stance and stood proudly. "I will be the dishwasher!"

"PFFFFF…..more like a slave worker."

"Well, i-it's something! Plus he's willing to move me up as time passes by. And I promise you I'll whip up some delicious food using that knowledge!"

"Tch, looking forward to it. Just don't set the place on fire. You remember the 'toast incident' don't you?"

Corazon stared silently for two seconds. "…this is the reason you and I are never allowed to handle a loaf of bread ever again."

"Agreed." Law lit up a cigarette and deeply inhaled before calmly exhaling the smoke out. "So when do you start?" Law handed the cigarette over to Cora.

"Tomorrow! He told me to just come in with normal clothes, and he'll lend me a uniform." Cora inhaled and puffed the smoke from his mouth, immediately catching himself on fire.

"...at this rate, I hope he has more than one."

Cora sniffed the air and noticed his coat ablazing yet again, and proceeded to extinguish himself by dropping to the floor and rolling around. Law was proud of him. Not only was he able to nail that interview, he made such a great impression and got hired on the spot. Coming fresh out of the marines, it's hard to find people that treat him with the respect and honor he was given; he's treated just like everyone else is, maybe even worse because of how much disdain some people have for the marines. Despite all this, he still made it. He didn't give up after being put down numerous times. The hardest part was done. Now Cora's going to need to build up his motivation and determination in order to push himself to impress Sanji. It's all up to him now.

_Good luck, Cora-san…_


	2. First Day, First Annoyance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Corazon's first day at his new job, and he has no idea what to expect. He thinks it'll go by smoothly and easily....he's thought wrong.

Friday morning, 10:30. The sky was bright and blue with not a single cloud overhead. Cora lit a cigarette and puffed it a couple times, nervous for what’s to come. He couldn’t think of what to wear, so he decided to come in this normal attire: his white button up shirt covered in bright pink hearts underneath his gargantuan, black-feathered coat, some basic khakis, and his traditional hat. He didn’t start until 11:00, however as Sanji told him in the interview, “if you’re on time, you’re late.” After tossing the cigarette to the ground, he knocked on the door and waited for him to open the door. The restaurant didn’t open until noon, so he understood if no one would immediately come for him. The wait wasn’t very long as Sanji seemed to predict when Cora would show up, and was quick to react to the knock. 

“Good morning,” Sanji said in a warm tone, opening the door for Cora and welcoming him in. Cora walked in and was shocked seeing the restaurant so void of people. He can actually see the tidied marble-topped tables, each of which being occupied by a couple wooden chairs stacked on top. The decor of the restaurant looked very similar to the sea’s with its oceanic prints on the walls and the giant glass fish fountain right in the middle. “Since today is your first day, I wanted you to come in early so I can teach you everything about this place. You see, this whole restaurant is my pride and joy, and my goal is to provide the best food and drinks to the lovely citizens of this town.” Sanji gave Cora a menu which was only a full page long, but had much variety with meat dishes, fish entrees, different types of rice, and sides. He flipped it over and saw an extensive wine selection, hand picked by Sanji himself. 

“You sure love wine, huh?”

“I’ve spent many years researching and trying different types of wines and spirits. Even when I was young, I’d sneak a glass or two from the kitchen.”

Cora laughed, “You’re such a troublemaker!”

“Hey, a chef’s gotta go to extremes sometimes.” Sanji lit up a cigarette, “hey, let’s get that tour started, shall we? I want to be able to show you everything before we open.”

Cora nodded. 

The whole tour took about an hour, and included an incredibly brief walkthrough of the dining area and explaining what each front of the house operations were. The majority of the tour was dedicated to Sanji talking about his wine collection. 

“Alright, you ready big guy?” Sanji asked. Cora, struggling to stay awake from the massive amount of information he was fed, nodded his head. Sanji reached underneath the counter and picked up a small black apron tied up in a roll. “I’m going to have someone tailor your uniform to your, uh, size, which should take a couple days. Until then, what you’re wearing right now should be fine. The only thing is I need you to remove your coat. I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about feathers in their food.”

Cora nodded yet again, taking his coat off which already began shedding all over the floor. It’s interesting to see it still fluffy and bulky, even despite having it shed for at least a couple decades. It’s also amazing that it’s still in perfect condition after that long, despite its nauseating smell of cigarettes and ashes. Cora unrolled the apron and stuck his neck through the top, tieing the two strings around his back when he made a realization. “Hey Sanji, how long are these things supposed to be?” 

Sanji noticed that the apron was only long enough to barely reach the bottom of his waist line. Cora’s long legs made his apron look like a bib. Sanji cracked up and tried hiding it at first, but completely lost it seconds after. “You look...ridiculous!!”

Cora was red in the face with embarrassment. “Isn’t there anything bigger??”

Sanji tried speaking, but everytime he looked up was knocked back down by his own laughter. “No! No there...there isn’t!!”

“WH- WHAT KIND OF STAFF DO YOU HAVE??”

Sanji picked himself up, wiping away his tears, and put himself back together. “Okay, okay, so maybe you don’t have to wear the apron. Just your normal attire should be good enough.” Cora ripped his apron off and threw it aside. “Anyway, we open up in fifteen minutes. Start setting the tables up with glasses and utensils, I’ll start setting up the kitchen. Looks like my damn employees are coming late again.” 

“Again?” 

“Yeah, we’ve only been open for a week and they’ve already begun slacking off. Coming late, lounging about, and backing my orders up. It gets annoying telling them over and over to get their shit together.”

“Why not fire them?”

Sanji sighed, “they're all I've got sadly. I'm not enough to run this whole restaurant by myself.”

Cora gleamed down, but darted his glowing eyes at Sanji. “Maybe I can help you out back there!”

“In the kitchen??” Sanji snared, a drop of nervous sweat dripping down his face. “Listen, the kitchen is a pretty busy place... and there's so little time, I can't possibly teach you everything before we open.” Sanji tried his best to turn him down; he knew Cora was as pure a soul as anyone might expect, so he didn't want to turn him down too harshly.

“Ah... I understand,” Cora quietly acknowledged, “but! I will still help you by keeping our customers happy and pleasured!”

Sanji smiled. “You'd already be doing a huge favor for me, big guy.”

With that said, Cora felt a rush of giddiness return to him. If there were anything he was good at, it was making that first impression to wow people. With twelve minutes left to open, Cora ran around the dining area making sure each table was set up nicely with proper utensils and towels, as well as wine glasses. Cora looked up at the glass door and saw a crowd of people already lined up and waiting. 

Two minutes until opening, Cora kept rehearsing his lines to himself repeatedly.  _ Good afternoon, gentlemen. Right this way. Here are our menus which include our extensive wine list on the back. Can I get you anything to drink in the meantime?  _ He said these things over and over and over again until it felt like second nature. The Marines never talked this way, and he and Law definitely would never talk like this; if anything, this was the total opposite of how they'd treat each other. Something about this sort of talk felt off and unnatural to Cora, but he knew he had to be hospitable in this sort of environment, and more importantly he didn't want to blow this chance at a career. 

One minute till opening. Cora grabbed the key and started making his way to the door. He wanted to greet everyone warmly, so he prepared a big smile on his face, unlocked the doors, and opened them.

Opening. 

“GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!” he belched out, grinning with his mouth wide open and arms reaching out. It only took him about one and a half steps before he tripped over his own feet, and fell face flat on the ground. Everyone just stopped and stared, but this awkward silence was followed by a burst of laughter from everyone.  _ Ah shit...so this is the impression I’m getting, isn’t it?  _ Cora got himself back up, brushing the dust and dirt off his shirt, and cleared his throat. “Right! My name is Corazon, and I will be serving you all! Who’s first?” 

The laughing ceased gradually as one guy, who looked like he had just woken up, made his way to the front. He was wearing a fancy uniform, black suit and black tie with a white shirt underneath, that he looked like he went to bed with because of how wrinkled it looked. He didn’t say anything. He simply just stared at Corazon, snapping his neck all the way up just to make eye contact, and proceeded to walk through him. 

“H-hey! I have to seat you.”

The guy just looked back at him in shear apathy. “No, you dumbass, I work here.”

Cora wanted to say something back at him, but didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. It was already bad enough he made a fool of himself within the first thirty seconds. He cleared his throat again, and grabbed the reservation sheet that he hadn’t noticed the first time around. “Marie, party of two!” 

Back in the kitchen, Sanji and his small crew of just three cooks had already set up each station. Lunch rushes at the first moment of opening have been typical, so everyone on the shift was ready for what’s to come. However, Sanji was feeling a lot more antsy than normal. Having a newbie working their first shift is always somewhat of a gamble. He looked out into the dining room and saw Cora walking a couple to their table, even being a gentleman and pulling their chairs back for them. Sanji has hopes that he will do well. His nerves were slightly calmed until he heard the door bust open next to him. 

“Larry!!” Sanji shouted in a frustrated tone. “For Christ’s sake, this is like the third time in a row you’ve come late.”

“I’m sure you get that every night,” Larry snickered ever so smug.

Sanji, even more unimpressed than ever before, grabbed him by the collar, nearly lifting him up because of how lanky and light he is. “Listen, next time you crack something like that again, I’ll...I’ll...” Sanji loosened his grip, not wanting to finish that statement. “Listen, I have a newbie training today, and the last thing I need is for you to piss me off. I need you to do your job, and help him out.”

“Relax, boss, I’m sure I can’t make him look dumber than he already does.” 

Sanji tossed him at the door. “Then go.”

“Oi! Sanji!!” Cora called out, waving a small sheet of paper. “I took my first order!”

“Good job,” Sanji took the paper and read the order. The handwriting was so bubbly and round, the dots on the lowercase i’s being replaced with hearts, he had to do a double take. He almost questioned it, but instead chose to go along with it. After all, he was happy enough that it was legible. “Psst, before you go,” Cora leaned close to Sanji. “You see that skinny bastard walking that group over to their table?” 

“Yeah! I remember him! He shoved everyone aside and called me a dumbass.”

“That’s Larry...he’s one of the guys I was telling you about.”

“Irresponsible?”

“With a mix of immature and unpredictable...that kid seriously drives me crazy. I want you to watch over him, and make sure he doesn’t make himself look like a goddamn idiot.”

Cora laughed, “I think it’s too late for that!”

Sanji laughed with him. “Alright, alright, go ahead and take care of everyone else. I’ll go ahead and start this order.”

“HEY BOSS!” Larry slugged his way over. “I got their orders! They asked me for my recommendation on the steak! I told ‘em well done!”

Sanji sighed. 

“Julie, table for one!” Cora called, proceeding to walk her over to her table. “Can I get you anything to start?”

“Yes, babe, let me get a piece of  _ that, _ ” the lady responded flirtaciously.

Cora looked behind him, but didn’t quite see what he thought she was referring to. “Pardon me?”

“Let me just get a  _ slice, mmmm…”  _

Cora was even more confused. “Piece of what? Dessert menu’s on the other side, ma’am.”

“Gimme some  _ sugar _ , babe.”

“There’s sugar packets in the middle of your table…”

The lady just looked at him with a dead expression on her face. “Yeah, uh, just get me a water.”

Cora shrugged and walked back.   
Larry was already cracking up as he heard everything. “You idiot!! She was just trying to get in your pants!”

Cora still shrugged but with a smile. “Well, that’s too bad.”

“Man, I would’ve jumped on that offer right away. Can’t believe you missed that chance.”

“I’m sure my roommate wouldn’t appreciate it, anyway.”

“Ooooh, roommate? A dedicated man. I see, I see!” He winked and nudged at Cora. “What’s her name, ehh?”

“His,” Cora corrected.

Larry stopped. “Oh, well.”

Cora could feel the slight disappointment Larry was emitting, and couldn’t help but feel a tad offended. “How about we just get back to work.” He walked away to seat the next group of people. It seems as if every interaction he’s had with Larry so far have all been pretty annoying even for him. Cora walked back to the entrance and called out the next group’s name, “Tran!” He was already getting used to the job of a waiter, and it was especially easier with his grand memory he'd obtained from the Marines. 

“Yes, I am Tran!” A man, nearly as tall as Cora, towered over everyone and approached the front. 

“Ah, yes, right this way!” Cora proceeded forward. “My name is Corazon, and I'll be se-” Before he could finish, the man accidentally stepped on Cora's fur coat and snagged him backwards like a damn slingshot. Cora's legs flung upward, sending him flying and falling right on top of his customer. Unfortunately, someone else was also behind Tran, causing a chain reaction of a trail of dominos. The person in the very back of this line fell right at the end of the table, launching plates and utensils into the air. Cora heard, the cooks heard, and Sanji heard, all of them looking out the small kitchen window. Cora turned into a frog for two seconds, leaping ever so high towards the catapulted silverware. It was as if time had slowed down, and everything in the background had stood still. Cora extended his lengthy arms forward. However, he angled himself wrong and only ended up hitting the ground flat on his belly.  _ Shit, shit, shit...surely I'm going to get shit for this.  _

He waited for what seemed like forever to hear the inevitable crashing noise. He didn't hear a single thing. He was afraid he might’ve activated his silent ability. He didn't. Miraculously, the dishes landed safely on Cora's back. He lifted his head up and over his shoulder, seeing from the corner of his eye everything in one piece. Everyone saw, and started applauding at his coordination. 

“Yes, yes, thank you everyone, thank you!” Cora wanted to take in all this gratitude and stood back up, gravity pulling the dishes from his shirt and the floor taking them from him. Cora cringed and looked back down, thankfully all the dishes were still in one piece. “Phew... I! I meant to do that!” 

Cora quickly took Tran to his table and took his order, apologizing many times for the incident. He waltzed over to the kitchen area to deliver the order and looked in through the opening, watching how hard at work everyone was; cooking, frying, gathering dishes, it all seemed to flow nice and evenly as an assembly line would. He stood there mesmerized, imagining how fun it must be in the middle of the action. 

_ snap snap snap  _ “Oi, Corazon!” Sanji snapped at him, physically and verbally. “Order for Table 7 is ready!”

“Ah! Yes! Table 7, gotcha!” Cora grabbed the plate and went on to deliver the food, thinking about everything he just saw. He admired how fast paced everything was, and how busy and focused everyone looked. It reminded him of his time at the Marines, but rather with more food and not as many knives. Looks like fun. “Can I get you guys anything else, maybe some more water?” The couple nodded, and Cora reached for the water pitcher. He began to pour it over their glasses, but he missed one minor detail: the pitcher was empty. He awkwardly laughed it off. “Ha! Silly me! I will be right back.” Cora briskly walked over to his station to fill up the pitcher with water. 

“Well, well! Look who it is!” Larry slapped Cora’s back, almost making him drop the whole pitcher.

“Don’t do that!” Cora snapped.

“Aw, I’m just teasing you man!” Larry smacked his back again, water splashing out of the pitcher. 

Cora grunted.  _ Why oh why did I get stuck with this guy, of all people?? Well, there’s no use in getting angry. Maybe if I just ignore him he’ll stop. _

“Catch anymore ladies, hmm?”

Cora lightly shook his head, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact. 

“Well, let me know when you find one, will ya?” He nudged Cora’s elbow, but this time he ended up hitting a sensitive nerve. Cora’s arm twitched violently, launching the water pitcher outward right in Larry’s direction. He didn’t lose grip of the pitcher, but all of the water launched out of it and splashed all over Larry, leaving him totally drenched. 

“Whoops...I’m...so sor-”

“You IDIOT!!” Larry slapped Cora. “Do you have any idea how long this will take to dry off??”

“But it’s just water…”

  
“No!! I JUST had this dry cleaned!” Larry snatched the pitcher straight from Cora’s hands and smashed the bottom half on the counter. “You’re going to pay for this... “ He pointed the broken, sharp edge at Cora. 

“I think you’re overreacting just a bit…”

“YOU SHUT UP! YOU DUMB MOTHERF-”

“HEY!” The two of them turned to the side and saw Sanji standing in front of the doors as if he had been there this whole time. He eyed the broken pitcher. “What’s going on here?”

“WELL! THIS GUY RIGHT HERE-”

“Did he break that expensive pitcher?” Sanji’s uncovered eye glared.

“He got me all w-”

“Did. He. Break it?”

“W-well! He!”

Sanji lifted the bangs covering his left eye, glaring with both of his eyes now. “Don’t say another word. I saw everything that happened.” Larry shook with fear, gripping the tablecloth and taking a loud gulp of his own saliva. “You broke it. Do you have any idea how much that costs?”

“Ah...uh...not that….much??”

Sanji laughed. “You make me laugh. You’re a funny guy, have I ever told you?”

“So I’m….I’m off the hook?”

“Hah!” Sanji laughed even harder now. “Good one.” His laugh suddenly turned into a scowl, and not even a second later Larry’s neck was already trapped in a death grip. “I’ve had about enough of you. Get out of my restaurant, and never come back.”

Larry tried hard to speak what he had to say, but couldn’t even get a breath in with how tight Sanji held him. Sanji finally let him go, and Larry crawled out of the restaurant in a panic. 

Cora was speechless, to say the least, as he would’ve never expected to witness someone as chill as Sanji to seem so angry. “Sanji….holy…”

He sighed and headed back to the kitchen. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just keep on going, we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“Sanji! Wait!” Cora ran up to Sanji, whom just ignored him and proceeded walking away. “What are we gonna do??”

Sanji stopped walking, and just paused for a few seconds. “No big deal. I’ll help you out until my other staff come in. Anyway, he was pretty much useless.” That being said, he disappeared back into the kitchen before another word could be said. 

Cora felt bad. First day on the job, and he already noticed one of the restaurant’s major flaws: the lack of responsible staff. A chef can cook up some of the world’s best food, but won’t receive any sort of recognition if they don’t have a functional team. He wanted to help change that in any way he could, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone. It was then, a light bulb had light over his head.

_ If I'm going to help Chef Sanji out, I'll need to get some help first! From the one person I can trust with my life...and who's trusted me with theirs. Perfect.  _

He sat down to think about his plans. Tragically, he failed to notice a fork sticking out from his coat as he was about to take his seat.

_ Poke.  _

He felt that. He snapped his fingers. 

“ _ YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! As it turns out, school and work have been sucking my time dry so I haven't been able to work on this as much as I'd like T-T Sadly for this reason I'll be releasing new chapters biweekly. It's a bit of a wait, but I'll try to make each chapter worth the extra wait!! Feedback is always appreciated!


	3. Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An important guest arrives at the restaurant, and Sanji and Corazon relive through some tough memories.

“He’s rather the picky type, isn’t he?” Sanji lit a cigarette, taking in the fumes as long as the unfortunate news.

“Yeah, he said he would much rather die than work as a waiter,” Corazon remorsed over a cigarette. “Can’t say I didn’t try though.”

Sanji shrugged and looked over the restaurant’s reservation book. “Ah well, no time to waste. We have a large party coming in today for lunch, and we only have you and the other guy on the floor. I’ll help man both the kitchen and the front if I need to.”

“You’re fine with that?”

“Hah, don’t underestimate me,” Sanji tapped off the excess ashes off of his smoke stick before taking another puff. “I should be asking you, anyways.”

Corazon gulped. “Asking me what?”

“If  _ you’re  _ gonna be fine.”

Corazon let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah! I’ll be good!” He tensed his arms to stop his hands from trembling. 

With the first week coming to a close and Corazon already having a good amount of experience with the town’s guests, he was feeling a lot better about the job. However, the feeling of nervousness still haunts him, especially with such a large group coming in at once. 

Sanji gave him a couple shoulder pats and a reassuring look. “You’ll do fine.” He stood up, tapped the remaining ashes off the cigarette, and tossed it over the fence. Before he went through the doors, Sanji looked back at Corazon and said, “I’ll be around to help if things get out of hand.”

Corazon still felt a sense of intimidation, as if he was being tested and this day would determine his future. He sat there, looking up at the restaurant, thinking about his training and phrases and experiences within the past week. Sure, the first day was rough, and he had improved in the days that followed, but today was different. This would be the busiest day he’d have to encounter and he saw it coming. Was he ready for it? 

“Oi,” the all too familiar voice called out, “the floor isn’t going to set itself.”

Corazon snapped out of his daze. “A-ah! Yes Sanji!” He took one last puff of his cigarette, which by now resembled a pebble from all the stress puffs, before flicking the half-charred butt over the fence. 

 

—

 

12pm sharp, the Baratie is now open to everyone. As expected, business is slow, but the restaurant vibe still manages to keep things lively. The only table is already being taken care of by the other waiter, and Corazon is taking care of some extra housekeeping in the meantime. The party won't be coming in for another hour, so everything needs to be in perfect shape and condition. Oddly enough Sanji didn't let Corazon nor the other waiter actually set the table, so the number of guests in the reservation remains a mystery. Even more odd is that the dining area just looks the same. No conjoined tables, extra seats, everything is where it's always been. Is there another room for the party? Why is there only a floppy piece of paper marked “Reserved” on a table with only one chair?

Corazon keeps trying to ask Sanji if he’s sure that’s how it’s supposed to be, but the only response he gets is a stern “I’m busy.” And Corazon could see that he wasn’t exaggerating. Everytime he walks back to the kitchen, he sees Sanji constantly working, slicing, sweating, and smoking all at the same time. Every movement just grabs his attention, like a show at a carnival. He could just watch all day, bending over and leaning his face against the small window of the door. 

Unfortunately, his gaze ended abruptly as it slammed open on his face.

“Food for table 12 ready!” Sanji called out, immediately walking back to the line. Corazon peeled his face off the window and remembered that he actually had to deliver the food. He grabbed the tray and walked towards the only seated table in the entire dining room. He wondered why Sanji looked like he was prepping more food than usual. Dinner service is usually busier than lunch, so he figured maybe he just wanted a head start. 

Corazon walked to the table and gave the guests their plates, greeting them with a warm smile and a black eye. “Thank you for waiting, enjoy your m-”

His smile dissipated when he felt the ground rumble. An earthquake?? He looked out at the window and saw a massive silhouette roll by, approaching the front door. An enemy?? Cora swung his head, left and right, looking for a place to hide in the case of a sudden attack. He looked at the guests but they didn’t seem at all concerned; they were enjoying their meal and minding their own business. 

The rumbling stopped and the front doors creaked ever so slightly. Corazon saw a set of tires through the gap. A gue-

_ CRASH! _

Before Cora could make anymore assumptions in his head, the figure wrecked the entire door frame as it just wasn’t large enough for it to fit through.

_ I-is this the “large party” Sanji was referring to? I didn’t think he meant...literally...large… _

The ominous being revealed itself as it violently entered the establishment: A man with a large afro and a pointed mustache, glancing down at everything with angry eyes. Only his giant head was popping out from the tank-like mecha he wore. Corazon was shocked, he had to look up to make eye contact with him! He hadn’t had to do that to anyone besides his brother, Doflamingo. 

Corazon relatched his jaw and was able to form enough words to make a question. “A-are you here for your reservation?”

The mecha-man spoke with a voice that felt like a drum pounding against Cora’s chest. “YES. TABLE FOR BINGO.”

“Bingo?” Cora looked through the reservation book, but the only name written for today was Bango. “Bango??”

“B I N G O”

The mecha shook the floor again, steam coming out from the bottom of his head, and opened up to let “Bingo” out. Cora looked through the steam and was prepared to see the extent of this man’s intimidating figure. 

The man jumped down from his mecha and seemingly disappeared right before Cora’s eyes. He looked around, but really all he had to do was look down right in front of him...Bango was nothing more but a massive head on top of a body the size of a doll, and resembled a life-sized bobble head. 

Bingo walked past Cora to the janky table that had been reserved for him, and all Cora could do was spin like a statue mounted to a turntable. 

“OI! Freakshow!” he called with his overbearingly deep voice.

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING FREAK??” Cora shouted, then immediately retracted. “I mean, how may I help you?”

“Well a menu would be nice.”

“Yes, sir,” Cora pulled one from out of his bib-sized apron and handed it to Bingo. “Let me know if you have any ques-”

Bingo threw the menu aside. “Give me one of everything.”

“Pardon?” 

“One. Of. EVERYTHING!”  

Cora was stumped. Everything? Was this a prank or some sort of practical joke? Either way, he didn’t have any say in the matter, all he could do was take his order and report it back to the kitchen. 

“Yes! Of course! One of everything. Anything to drink?”

“I need another menu.” 

Cora pulled out another menu from his apron pocket and handed it over to him. This time Bingo didn’t even bother looking at it before throwing it to the ground. “Everything.” 

Cora grunted. 

_ This for sure must be a prank...how is someone of that...that SIZE going to be able to eat so much food?? Is this a joke??? _

“He isn’t joking.” Sanji came by to the table, carrying two trays worth of wine bottles, beer, and water.

“Ah, the legendary apprentice of Zeff himself.” 

Sanji set down the trays and lit up a cigarette. “So, everything hm?”

“Of course, it’s my job.” He pulled out a card, “I’m the food critic for this whole town. I’ve been putting down restaurants for 40 years now an-”

“Yes, you know good food, blah blah we’ve been over this countless times.” 

He snickered. “Very brave of you to mock me, Vinsmoke...I’ve been watching you for a long time now, and I can’t wait for the day you let yourself slip up.”

Sanji took a breath and blew smoke down at his face, snickering back, “You’re no scarier than that old man.”

Bingo choked and looked back up at the two. “Smoking? In a restaurant? Who do you think you are??”

Sanji inhaled through this teeth and tapped the ashes off of his cigarette, “Just a cook from the All Blue.” He held out a ramekin and threw it up in the air where the ashes fell, “Nothing special.” He caught the ash filled ramekin and gave a cheeky smile. 

Cora started sweating.  _ How can someone so lame be so cool??  _

“Hah! You put on a great show! You and your friend should join a circus, he’s got the looks and you’ve got the talents.”

“EXCUSE-”

Sanji stopped Cora before he could say anything, “the circus doesn’t serve good food, so no thanks.”

“You aren’t serving me good food either! You better get cooking before I start impatient.” 

SanJi took one last puff of his cigarette before flicking it away, and kicking it straight into the trash can. “Let’s go, Corazon.” 

Cora nodded and he proceeded to follow him toward the kitchen. As soon as they walked through the door, Cora couldn’t help but burst into laughter. 

“Ahahahah! How the hell does he fit a big mouth on such a tiny body??” 

Sanji was silent.

“Who gave him the right to shit talk? Ahaha…”

Sanji remained silent as he walked toward the stove top and began heating up several pans. 

“Right...Sanji?” 

“...he isn’t going to touch this restaurant.”

“Huh? Why would he?”

“He’s the most important food critic on this island...he may not look nor act like much, but everyone takes him seriously. He’s put many people out of business, and given plenty of others a bad reputation.” He poured oil on three of the four pans.

“But why are you worried? You aren’t a bad cook.” 

“No...but, all it takes is a single person to screw it all up.” Sanji tossed a handful of poppy seeds on a dry pan, tossing them in the air. “I was shut down once...on the day  that old geezer got sick.” 

“Zeff?”

Sanji nodded. “...we had to have someone replace him while he recovered. You should never work with food if you’re not feeling well, period.” He grabbed a raw cut of fish and laid it in a pan, searing it. “The new guy hadn’t cooked the chicken properly. The food critic happened to dine in that very day.”

Corazon gulped his concern.

“He got very ill from it, and died. Word got out, and everyone stopped coming. I had to shut it down and start all over on this island.”

“Where did Zeff go?”

Sanji remained completely silent again. Corazon was getting a bad feeling from deep down inside. 

“I haven’t heard from the old geezer since…he chose not to come. I remember the last thing he’s told me.”

_ “Sanji...let me stay, don’t let me burden you from your passion. Keep the Baratie name going strong…” _

_ “I can’t! I refuse to just leave you here to die.”  _

_ “Dumbass, do you have any idea of my age?? If it’s my time, it’s my time, and I’m ready to accept that. Keep the legacy going, put your passion and knowledge to good use. Don’t let me tie you down…” _

A single tear crawled from under his eye, making its way out onto his cheek.

Corazon felt bad for Sanji, and he was devastated to hear about Zeff. Sanji’s story reminded him a lot of his own past with Law, and the thirteen years they’ve been separated and Law not knowing if he’s even okay. “He...he never was the type to involve people in his troubles. A man full of pride...”

“That’s why I can’t lose this place. It means too much to me, to Zeff…” Sanji flipped the fillet and started another one on a different pan, and a second later tossing the poppy seeds from the pan straight into a mortar. “Alas, at the rate the place is going, and with how short staff this place is, it’s going to be tough.” He tossed the finished tillet onto an already prepared plate of rice and topped it with a drizzle of a white wine and butter emulsification, garnishing it with a parsley leaf. “Anyway, deliver this to Bingo.”

“Yes, Sanji sir.” Cora grabbed the place and slowly made his way to the table. 

_ I never realized just how much of an impact Zeff has on him...everything he does now is all for him. For the name. Zeff wanted him to go on alone...free to explore...to travel...hmm...I really wish there was any way I can help him. If only...no, no Law won’t do it. He refuses, and he legitimately can’t do it!  _

“Ah yes, perfect timing.” 

Cora laid the plate on Bingo’s table, the sides already being covered with three empty wine bottles. 

“I was afraid wine was all you guys had!” Bingo had a laugh, he was probably already drunk. 

“Everything else should be coming out s-”

“Right about now,” Sanji walked out with a cart full of dishes ranging from fish, to beef, to deep fried goods, raw goods, a large spectrum of different meats and vegetables cooked in nearly every way imaginable. “I hope this was worth the wait.”

“Amazing…” the both of them were shaken up by his performance.

“Just be sure you clean each and every plate, I’d hate to waste all this good food.”

Bingo grabbed his fork, took a glance at it, and tossed it back behind him before face planting himself into the plate and literally sucking it all in like a black hole. 

Corazon was disgusted, but Sanji just didn’t care. 

 

—

 

Meanwhile, back at home, Law laid in bed even though it was late in the afternoon. With Corazon out of the house most of the day now, he doesn’t exactly feel motivated enough to get out of bed. Even the hospital hasn’t been calling him in as much either; he stares at his customized transponder, silent for most of the day as it sleeps.

_ Hm...I’m just happy he’s finally able to work again. He’s found himself a place that’s good enough for him.  _

Law finally found the will to get out of bed, and made himself a cup of coffee. He could hear every little noise. The flame flowing through the burner, the water bubbling violently, and even the tiniest of drips from the kitchen sink which had been leaking for a while now. 

_ It’s quiet, at least.  _

He took a sip from his coffee and began reading through his medical documents and patient histories. He could get some work done from home, at least. 

The silence was a tad unnerving though, to say the least. He would think he’d be used to it after the many years he spent this way, but it felt unworldly. He glanced down at the pile of black feathers left by the hanging coat, and wonders how the hell it’s managed to stay that way despite it constantly shedding. 

He kept thinking about last night, about Corazon’s invite to work with him at the restaurant.

_ “Aw, comon Law! It’ll be fun and a new experience for you!” _

_ “Like I said! I deal with people enough as it is! I help people, but I refuse to feel enslaved!” _

_ “You’re not anyone’s slave! You get to talk to new people!” _ __   
_   
_ __ “I’ll die before I even think about dealing with people that way.”

Law couldn’t stop thinking about what he said. As much as he despised even the concept of working as a slave in the restaurant business, he also missed Corazon. A lot. Law found the very same job listening on the old newspaper and read it through. He sighed, took another sip of his coffee, and thought long and hard about it.

“Well...I’ve died once before. Time to live up to my word.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW!! After a long uh....what is it, eight months? After a long eight month hiatus, I am back and refusing to let this series die out. I'm back in the writing mood, and I'll keep doing my best to pump out more chapters for you guys. I have so many ideas, and I'm really really looking forward to expanding this story!!

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a huge project that I've been working on for a looong time, and I'm finally sharing it with you guys! Chef Cora-san is a series based on true events that happen in my daily life as an aspiring chef (you can say I'm almost as clumsy as poor ol' Cora over here :') ) I hope to release a new chapter every *HMM* so be sure to stay tuned! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope to see the lot of you in the upcoming chapters :)
> 
> Also shoutout to zinnianne! She's a huge inspiration to me and her writing motivated me to hop on this crazy writing train so definitely check her stuff out!


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